The city council has approved Ordinance 36, s. 2024 establishing an administrative board in charge of abatement of public nuisance in Baguio.
The ordinance provides it is the policy of the city government to suppress and alleviate public nuisances and illegal structures that pose risks to public safety for the promotion and enhancement of the aesthetics of roads, streets, thoroughfares, center islands, and public buildings.
The measure is also to ensure effective and immediate enforcement and redress for violations of environmental laws.
As used in the ordinance, an administrative board is a body that shall provide the party or parties complained of, an opportunity to explain why their acts, activities, omissions, signages, structures, and other obstructions should not be suppressed, prevented, stopped, or removed.
Public nuisance is any act, omission, establishment, business, condition of the property, or anything else which: 1. Injures or endangers the health or safety of others; 2. Annoys or offends the senses; 3. Shocks, defies, or disregards decency or morality; 4. Obstructs or interferes with the free passage of any public highway or street or any body of water; or 5. Hinders or impairs the use of property.
Abatement means the removal, stoppage, prostration, or destruction of which causes or constitutes a nuisance, whether by breaking or pulling it down or otherwise destroying,effacing it, or by any other method, or means.
Under the ordinance, the board shall a. Receive and hear complaints or reports regarding public nuisances; b. Declare an act, activity, or omission, neglected place or premises, structure/s or signages to be a public nuisance as defined in Article 694 of the Civil Code, as amended; and c. Upon approval by the city council, petition the Regional Trial Courts of Baguio for a permanent injunction against the public nuisance and collect actual and other damages incurred in the implementation of the order to abate the nuisance.
The board after declaring an act, activity, or omission, neglected place or premises, obstruction, structure/s or signages, noise, and other eye-sores as a public nuisance, shall issue a notice or a demand to stop the activity, prohibiting the conduct, operation or maintenance of any business or activity on the place or premises which is conducive to such nuisance mandating the owner/s or possessor of the nuisance and persons or company to abate voluntarily, or for an appropriate office or company to abate the nuisance at the expense of the owner or the possessor or author, within 24-hours, failure to comply shall cause the issuance of an order to that effect.
The order issued by the board shall expire after one year or at an earlier time stated in the order, which shall be implemented by the city mayor who assumes full responsibility for seeing to it that it is complied with, and shall determine the cost incurred in the implementation of the order and demand reimbursement from the person or company held responsible for causing the nuisance, otherwise, the city mayor shall recommend actions for a petition to the court for permanent injunction.
The board shall be chaired by the city engineer, the city health officer as vice-chair, and the secretariat from staff of the sangguniang panlungsod.
The members of the board are the city legal officer, city police director, city building officer, two representatives from non-governmental organizations, the city vice-mayor, the chairperson of the committee on laws, human rights and justice, and a representative from the Department of Public Works and Highways.
For the effective implementation of the provisions of the ordinance, the board shall issue implementing rules and regulations ensuring that due process is observed by providing the party or parties complained of, an opportunity to explain why their acts, activities, omissions, signages, structures, and other obstructions should not be suppressed, prevented, stopped, removed, or abated before determination on the matter for not more than one year.
A copy of the ordinance was submitted to the Office of Mayor Benjamin Magalong for his signature.
Through Resolution 412, s. 2024, the city council approved the request of Magalong to donate the butterfly Christmas lanterns to Tublay, Benguet.
The more than 400 pieces of LED lighted art butterfly Christmas lanterns in various forms, sizes, and heights from one foot to eight feet high, amounting to around P2.053 million were procured by the city government and displayed at the Botanical Garden during the 2023 Christmas season until Feb. 15.
With its new plan and design for this year’s “Christmas at Botanical Garden” spectacle, the city government will no longer use the lanterns.
Tublay Mayor Armando Lauro in his letter dated Dec. 27, 2023, acknowledged the Christmas lights will be used for next year’s first Christmas lighting ceremony highlighted with Christmas light decorations and festivities.
The lanterns will help enhance the natural beauty and festive spirit of Tublay and help brighten the Christmas activities of the community.
The resolution stated the donation will foster closer ties of the city government with Tublay and strengthen connectivity and mutual development of both parties. The gesture symbolizes solidarity and underscores the commitment to enhancing collective well-being and a festive atmosphere within the municipality.
The city council approved Resolution 409, s. 2024 expressing full support of the city government for the passage of House Bill 8440, “An act providing for lifetime validity of persons with disability identification cards issued to PWDs with permanent disability, further amending for the purpose Republic Act 7277, or the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, as amended.”
The bill was filed by Cagayan de Oro City, 1st District Rep. Lordan Suan, on May 29, 2023, seeking the lifetime validity of identification cards of PWDs.
If approved, it will give relief to persons with permanent disabilities especially those with difficulty in moving, hearing, seeing, and communicating who have to exert effort from the demand of the burdensome renewal of their IDs every three years.
“The lifetime validity of the PWD IDs will be an official recognition and validation of their unique needs and special situation and at the same time reduce their administrative burdens making it easy for them to access services expediently and entitlements without disruption.”
In addition, the passage of the bill would increase the safety and security of PWDs and advance the development of an inclusive and equal society.
In Resolution 410, s. 2024, the city council expressed full support of the city government for the proposed conversion of Adiwang Elementary School into an integrated school.
The conversion aims to make junior high school accessible to most of Adiwang ES, decongest the overpopulated enrollment of the nearest JH schools and provide less fortunate learners from the catchment area to continue their JHS education.
Further, the conversion is a timely response to the increasing number of learners within the catchment area covering Dontogan and Sto. Tomas Proper barangays and enhance the totality of the learning environment with conducive classrooms, improved facilities and equipment, and personnel rightsizing.
July 7, 2024
